Always be observing. Maintain an open mind. Be eager to improve. Increase awareness, increase choices.

We can become more aware by observing what is going on inside and around us. Except for personal experience, we learn everything we know from someone else. We learn by watching others, reading, or listening.

Abraham Lincoln stated he learned something from everyone, although most of the time, it was what not to do. There is much truth in that sentiment. The lesson from Lincoln is that he was always observing. He was alert to what was happening around him. And, he had an uncanny ability to synthesize that information into constant learning.

When we are unaware, we miss opportunities to improve ourselves, and we can inadvertently repeat the errors of others. We need to keep a lookout for circumstances or situations that can help or harm us and be eager to learn from our experiences.

We each can learn and achieve. Being alert makes the task of reaching our potential that much easier.

We may be more curious in areas that interest us, and therefore more alert to particular signals. One of the most aware and inquisitive people I ever knew, Ari Weinzweig, went on to be run a unique community of food-related businesses in Ann Arbor, MI. Few remember him for his in-depth knowledge of food, which in the beginning, he did not have. But he wanted to understand what made people work more effectively together. He was curious about leadership as a discipline and expression of who he was as a person and not just a title.

Ari was born to lead. He was alert to all aspects of the business and how people make that business possible. As a result, he’s authored several books, is a sought after speaker, co-leads his company with his business partner Paul, and still finds time to mentor many.

So many people have tunnel vision. They narrow their awareness to a single goal. Focus is essential, but a broader view helps us always to be searching, especially for the truth. It’s important to know what we believe in and be able to defend it. Truth stands the test of criticism.

An inquisitive person is more apt to discover the truth than someone with a closed mind. That’s why awareness is an essential skill.

PRACTICE

Our first thoughts are never our fault. It’s what we decide to do next that matters.

How does awareness change us?

When we learn to see, taste, hear, and feel; when we learn to discern and discriminate through participation and observation; when we learn to make distinctions and become an expert; and, when we grow intimate with the details of a particular medium from our activity with and in it. Awareness, the kind that changes our decision making, takes practice, practice, practice.

Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey in their book Immunity to Change suggest that we have three levels of awareness:

Initial awareness is gained through reflection after an incident occurs. If we understand what the gap in our behavior is and know what it should be, we have a shot at catching ourselves in the act the next time. Think of an incident you wish had gone differently.
When we successfully catch ourselves in the moment, we get just enough time to make a different choice. Consider what you might have done and think of 5 alternative responses.
When we catch ourselves enough times, we can spot a trigger coming rather than having it blindside us into rash reactivity. Seeing a trigger coming gives us even more time to choose a different reaction. Think about how interactions with this person might go in the future, and review your five alternatives. Choose a different response.

NOTE: You are in and out of these three phases ALL THE TIME based on how triggered you are at any time and how aware you are of your triggers when you are triggered.

COMMIT:

[ ] I commit myself to choosing response over reactivity in situations where I’m under pressure or triggered.

Alongside technical skills, people who can master a range of subjective skills are better able to influence, deal with ambiguity, bounce back from setbacks, think creatively, and manage themselves successfully in their pursuit of mastery. Learn more about applying craft skills in the modern world.